AMB, If you have a GPS device and access to BaseCamp or Mapsource, this thread should give you enough routes for a fortnight or more:
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...ack-Forest-Alsace-and-Vosges-and-some-extra-s
It is really hard (or at least time consuming) to plot routes for people you don't know, especially - as in this case - you are looking for
Staying in eastern France, Alsace area (Wissembourg in the north) in June for 4 nights. Recommended biking roads required. Any other places to visit in the area?
Which I read to mean you want different routes for each of the three days, all centred on Wissembourg as that's the base you've chosen. From your parallel thread on the Stelvio region, it looks like you need routes of:
Thanks. We do not set a daily mileage. Short (80mls) or long (200mls). We just try to get routes that make you smile. Stop for coffees and lunch.
Wissembourg is in France, on the eastern edge of the northern (smaller) Vosges, which means you have to ride south to get into the Black Forest proper or into the main southern Vosges. It's not impossible to do 80 mile rides from Wissembourg and certainly not impossible to do 200 mile rides, as it's 180 kms one way direct to Titisee-Neustadt, near enough at the bottom of the Black Forest, a return journey direct on major roads of 360 kms or 225 miles if that appeals? Me, if I wanted to go to spend time in the Black Forest or Vosges, I wouldn't necessarily base myself for four nights in Wissembourg, nice enough place as it probably is.
Which brings us to the nub of helping you. It's crazy well meaning people recommending you routes based on places you are nowhere near, so probably the best thing you can do is:
1. Have a look at the ADAC map link, their suggested routes are good. Don't take too much notice of bods who say the B500 is crap. It's iconic and you should ride it at least once to say that you've done it.... and only then tell people you thought it was rubbish.
2. Have a look at the GPS based routes
3. Have a look at the RiDE magazine routes
4. Google something like, 10 great things to do in the Black Forest, to see what pops up. If a certain town or something to see comes up twice, three times or more it's easy to assume that not everyone is wrong. See if YOU and YOUR mates can work the places into YOUR plans, mileage limitations and time on (or off) YOUR bikes. Similarly, just because a recommendation appears on a Saga or Great Porsche Driving Roads website, with not a hint of motorcycles, it doesn't always mean it's wrong.
Having done all that - you've got months - you might decide to change Wissembourg for somewhere else, unless it's then revealed (as sometimes happens) that someone in your party has a fabulously wealthy great-aunt living in the town with her ten nubile great nieces, all of whom cannot wait to meet six or however many it is hairy arsed bikermates from Scotland. In other words, why did YOU chose Wissembourg? The same advice could apply near enough to your Stelvio thread too, I guess.
PS There are lots of very good book publications and websites with lots of often very good suggestions, all set out very clearly and with GPS downloads. RiDE's own efforts are good, though they are comparatively new on the scene. Amongst my favourites are:
KurvenKoenig
Biker-Betten
ADAC
Louis.de
There is a separate sticky thread on these in the German section. Yes, they are often 'in foreign' but that (somewhat inconveniently) is what they speak. I don't speak a word of German beyond ''Good morning, your daughter has amazing breasts", which was I was promised by a mate was the correct word perfect way to say "Good morning, I am lost", which is what I had asked him for. I promise you, you'll manage better than me.
The other thing I do is buy the odd book of motorbike tours I might happen to trip over whilst I am away or, as is sometimes the case, take a note of a book or two that some hoteliers have, when their hotel often caters for motorbikes. They are then very easy to order via Amazon, even in German. It's how I first tripped over the ADAC books and maps. Here's an example only. Yes, it's on the German Amazon websites, but it's easy to guess what's going on and how to order things, not least as it's near enough set out the same as the UK version, I've used it loads of times.
https://www.amazon.de/NORDDEUTSCHLAND-schönsten-Motorrad-Touren-Alpentourer-Tourguide/dp/3939997161
Touch on the German equivalent of 'Other people also looked at...' and see where it takes you, perhaps? For example, you might find:
Which are pretty neat little maps, you'll find all over the place when you are there.
There is a mass of information out there, so a Google surf is the way to go. By way of a simple example, I put 'Motorcycle routes Black Forest and Vosges' into the search engine and asked it for images. I then scrolled down the pictures and chanced upon what seems to be a map of a three day organised tour of the Black Forest:
From there, I was able to go to their website:
http://www.sm-weilerbach.de/en/category/motorradtouren-bauer-schmidt/dreitagestouren/
I think you can steal (an unattractive word) some pretty good ideas from them... and they also include the Vosges, which is a 1000 point Bikermate Bonus.
That's just one very basic example, to show what can be done. I think it took me two minutes in all, on an iPad. Give it a go with your mates. It's free, you probably can't break anything and they can't touch you for it. If nothing else, it's a bit more interesting than just going:
Alsace area - recommended roads required
Staying in eastern France, Alsace area (Wissembourg in the north) in June for 4 nights. Recommended biking roads required. Any other places to visit in the area?
Thanks
Richard